diff --git a/docs/plans/2026-02-03-bird-cli-implementation.md b/docs/plans/2026-02-03-bird-cli-implementation.md
index 5aa1e1a7..511acfc5 100644
--- a/docs/plans/2026-02-03-bird-cli-implementation.md
+++ b/docs/plans/2026-02-03-bird-cli-implementation.md
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ def check_npm_available() -> bool:
 
 **Step 2: Verify the module loads**
 
-Run: `cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "from scripts.lib import bird_x; print('OK')"`
+Run: `cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "from scripts.lib import bird_x; print('OK')"`
 Expected: `OK`
 
 **Step 3: Commit**
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ def get_bird_status() -> Dict[str, Any]:
 
 **Step 2: Verify functions work**
 
-Run: `cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "from scripts.lib import bird_x; print(bird_x.get_bird_status())"`
+Run: `cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "from scripts.lib import bird_x; print(bird_x.get_bird_status())"`
 Expected: Dict with installed/authenticated status
 
 **Step 3: Commit**
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ def search_x(
 
 **Step 2: Verify search function signature**
 
-Run: `cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "from scripts.lib import bird_x; import inspect; print(inspect.signature(bird_x.search_x))"`
+Run: `cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "from scripts.lib import bird_x; import inspect; print(inspect.signature(bird_x.search_x))"`
 Expected: `(topic: str, from_date: str, to_date: str, depth: str = 'default') -> Dict[str, Any]`
 
 **Step 3: Commit**
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ def parse_bird_response(response: Dict[str, Any]) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
 
 **Step 2: Verify parser handles empty input**
 
-Run: `cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "from scripts.lib import bird_x; print(bird_x.parse_bird_response({}))"`
+Run: `cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "from scripts.lib import bird_x; print(bird_x.parse_bird_response({}))"`
 Expected: `[]`
 
 **Step 3: Commit**
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ Add these methods to the `ProgressDisplay` class (after `show_promo` method, aro
 
 **Step 3: Verify new methods exist**
 
-Run: `cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "from scripts.lib.ui import ProgressDisplay; p = ProgressDisplay('test', show_banner=False); print(hasattr(p, 'prompt_bird_install'))"`
+Run: `cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "from scripts.lib.ui import ProgressDisplay; p = ProgressDisplay('test', show_banner=False); print(hasattr(p, 'prompt_bird_install'))"`
 Expected: `True`
 
 **Step 4: Commit**
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ def get_x_source_status(config: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
 
 **Step 2: Verify function works**
 
-Run: `cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "from scripts.lib import env; print(env.get_x_source_status(env.get_config()))"`
+Run: `cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "from scripts.lib import env; print(env.get_x_source_status(env.get_config()))"`
 Expected: Dict with source status
 
 **Step 3: Commit**
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ from . import bird_x
 
 **Step 2: Verify import works**
 
-Run: `cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "from scripts.lib import bird_x; print('OK')"`
+Run: `cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "from scripts.lib import bird_x; print('OK')"`
 Expected: `OK`
 
 **Step 3: Commit**
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@ def setup_bird_if_needed(progress: ui.ProgressDisplay) -> Optional[str]:
 
 **Step 3: Verify script still loads**
 
-Run: `cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "import scripts.last30days; print('OK')"`
+Run: `cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "import scripts.last30days; print('OK')"`
 Expected: `OK`
 
 **Step 4: Commit**
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ Then update the `_search_x` call inside (around line 218-222) to pass `x_source`
 
 **Step 3: Verify script syntax is valid**
 
-Run: `cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private && python3 -m py_compile scripts/last30days.py && echo "OK"`
+Run: `cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private && python3 -m py_compile scripts/last30days.py && echo "OK"`
 Expected: `OK`
 
 **Step 4: Commit**
@@ -858,7 +858,7 @@ Find the `run_research` call (around line 413) and add `x_source` parameter:
 
 **Step 4: Verify script runs with --help**
 
-Run: `cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private && python3 scripts/last30days.py --help`
+Run: `cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private && python3 scripts/last30days.py --help`
 Expected: Help text displays without errors
 
 **Step 5: Commit**
@@ -877,12 +877,12 @@ git commit -m "feat(main): integrate Bird setup into main flow"
 
 **Step 1: Test mock mode still works**
 
-Run: `cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private && python3 scripts/last30days.py "Claude Code" --mock --emit=compact 2>&1 | head -20`
+Run: `cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private && python3 scripts/last30days.py "Claude Code" --mock --emit=compact 2>&1 | head -20`
 Expected: Output showing research results without errors
 
 **Step 2: Test Bird detection (informational)**
 
-Run: `cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "from scripts.lib import env; import json; print(json.dumps(env.get_x_source_status(env.get_config()), indent=2))"`
+Run: `cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private && python3 -c "from scripts.lib import env; import json; print(json.dumps(env.get_x_source_status(env.get_config()), indent=2))"`
 Expected: JSON showing current Bird/xAI status
 
 **Step 3: Commit any fixes if needed, then final commit**
@@ -907,12 +907,12 @@ git commit -m "feat(bird): complete Bird CLI integration
 
 **Step 1: Push all changes**
 
-Run: `cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private && git push origin main`
+Run: `cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private && git push origin main`
 Expected: Changes pushed to private repo
 
 **Step 2: Verify commit history**
 
-Run: `cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private && git log --oneline -10`
+Run: `cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private && git log --oneline -10`
 Expected: Shows Bird integration commits
 
 ---
diff --git a/docs/plans/2026-02-06-feat-automated-v1-v2-test-harness-plan.md b/docs/plans/2026-02-06-feat-automated-v1-v2-test-harness-plan.md
index c91f8737..934c7644 100644
--- a/docs/plans/2026-02-06-feat-automated-v1-v2-test-harness-plan.md
+++ b/docs/plans/2026-02-06-feat-automated-v1-v2-test-harness-plan.md
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ set -euo pipefail
 
 # === Config ===
 SKILL_DIR="$HOME/.claude/skills/last30days"
-REPO_DIR="/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private"
+REPO_DIR="$HOME/last30days-skill-private"
 OUT_DIR="$REPO_DIR/docs/test-results/v1-vs-v2-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"
 V1_DIR="$OUT_DIR/v1"
 V2_DIR="$OUT_DIR/v2"
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ rm -f "$SKILL_DIR/SKILL.md.v2.bak"
 ## How to Run
 
 ```bash
-cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private
+cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private
 chmod +x scripts/test-v1-vs-v2.sh
 ./scripts/test-v1-vs-v2.sh
 ```
diff --git a/docs/plans/2026-02-06-feat-free-reddit-mcp-integration-plan.md b/docs/plans/2026-02-06-feat-free-reddit-mcp-integration-plan.md
index 192a7ef2..e7c9538b 100644
--- a/docs/plans/2026-02-06-feat-free-reddit-mcp-integration-plan.md
+++ b/docs/plans/2026-02-06-feat-free-reddit-mcp-integration-plan.md
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ The current `openai_reddit.py` gets relevance scores **from OpenAI** (the AI jud
 ### Phase 0: Fork Repository
 
 - [ ] Create new repo `last30days-free-reddit` (or branch in private repo)
-- [ ] `git clone /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-free-reddit`
+- [ ] `git clone $HOME/last30days-skill-private $HOME/last30days-free-reddit`
 - [ ] Create feature branch: `feat/free-reddit`
 - [ ] Verify all existing tests pass on the new branch
 
@@ -317,8 +317,8 @@ The current `openai_reddit.py` gets relevance scores **from OpenAI** (the AI jud
 
 ```bash
 # Fork into new working repo
-cp -r /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-free-reddit
-cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-free-reddit
+cp -r $HOME/last30days-skill-private $HOME/last30days-free-reddit
+cd $HOME/last30days-free-reddit
 
 # Create feature branch
 git checkout -b feat/free-reddit
diff --git a/docs/plans/2026-02-06-feat-last30days-bird-cli-release-plan.md b/docs/plans/2026-02-06-feat-last30days-bird-cli-release-plan.md
index 4eae631e..b7d0380d 100644
--- a/docs/plans/2026-02-06-feat-last30days-bird-cli-release-plan.md
+++ b/docs/plans/2026-02-06-feat-last30days-bird-cli-release-plan.md
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ Remove the old skill so only the new one is active. This eliminates ambiguity du
    rm ~/.claude/skills/last30daystest
 
    # Create new symlink with the primary name
-   ln -s /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private ~/.claude/skills/last30days
+   ln -s $HOME/last30days-skill-private ~/.claude/skills/last30days
    ```
 
 3. **Verify only one `/last30days` appears**:
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ Run the Python scripts directly to verify core functionality without invoking th
 ```bash
 # Test: Bird is installed and authenticated
 python3 -c "
-import sys; sys.path.insert(0, '/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/scripts/lib')
+import sys; sys.path.insert(0, '$HOME/last30days-skill-private/scripts/lib')
 import bird_x
 print('installed:', bird_x.is_bird_installed())
 print('authenticated:', bird_x.is_bird_authenticated())
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ print('status:', bird_x.get_bird_status())
 #### Environment & Source Detection
 ```bash
 python3 -c "
-import sys; sys.path.insert(0, '/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/scripts/lib')
+import sys; sys.path.insert(0, '$HOME/last30days-skill-private/scripts/lib')
 import env
 config = env.load_config()
 print('x_source:', env.get_x_source(config))
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ print('has_openai:', bool(config.get('OPENAI_API_KEY')))
 #### Bird Search (Direct)
 ```bash
 python3 -c "
-import sys, json; sys.path.insert(0, '/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/scripts/lib')
+import sys, json; sys.path.insert(0, '$HOME/last30days-skill-private/scripts/lib')
 import bird_x
 result = bird_x.search_x('Claude Code tips', '2026-01-07', '2026-02-06', 'quick')
 print(json.dumps(result, indent=2, default=str)[:2000])
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ print(json.dumps(result, indent=2, default=str)[:2000])
 
 #### Full Research Pipeline (Compact Output)
 ```bash
-cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private
+cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private
 python3 scripts/last30days.py "Claude Code tips" --emit=compact --quick 2>&1 | head -100
 ```
 - [ ] Completes without error
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ PATH_BACKUP="$PATH"
 export PATH=$(echo "$PATH" | tr ':' '\n' | grep -v "$(dirname $(which bird 2>/dev/null))" | tr '\n' ':')
 
 python3 -c "
-import sys; sys.path.insert(0, '/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/scripts/lib')
+import sys; sys.path.insert(0, '$HOME/last30days-skill-private/scripts/lib')
 import env
 config = env.load_config()
 print('x_source (no bird):', env.get_x_source(config))
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ export PATH="$PATH_BACKUP"
 #### No X source at all
 ```bash
 python3 -c "
-import sys; sys.path.insert(0, '/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/scripts/lib')
+import sys; sys.path.insert(0, '$HOME/last30days-skill-private/scripts/lib')
 import env
 config = {}  # empty config, no keys
 print('x_source (nothing):', env.get_x_source(config))
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ Validate that Bird responses are correctly normalized to the canonical schema.
 
 ```bash
 python3 -c "
-import sys; sys.path.insert(0, '/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/scripts/lib')
+import sys; sys.path.insert(0, '$HOME/last30days-skill-private/scripts/lib')
 import bird_x
 
 # Test with sample Bird response format
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ print('Author:', parsed[0].get('author_handle'))
 # Verify YAML frontmatter parses correctly
 python3 -c "
 import yaml
-with open('/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/SKILL.md') as f:
+with open('$HOME/last30days-skill-private/SKILL.md') as f:
     content = f.read()
     # Extract YAML between --- markers
     parts = content.split('---', 2)
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ with open('/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/SKILL.md') as f:
 ```bash
 # Verify the only meaningful addition is bird_x.py
 diff -rq ~/.claude/skills/last30days.backup-v1/scripts/lib/ \
-         /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/scripts/lib/ 2>/dev/null
+         $HOME/last30days-skill-private/scripts/lib/ 2>/dev/null
 ```
 - [ ] Only new file is `bird_x.py`
 - [ ] Modified files: `env.py` (source detection), `__init__.py` (exports)
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ Before merging to `main` on the public repo:
 - [ ] SKILL.md frontmatter is correct (`name: last30days`, not `last30daystest`)
 - [ ] README.md documents Bird CLI setup
 - [ ] No debug/test artifacts in codebase
-- [ ] No hardcoded paths (e.g., `/Users/mvanhorn/...`)
+- [ ] No hardcoded paths (e.g., `$HOME/...`)
 - [ ] `.env` files are gitignored
 - [ ] Git history is clean (no "test" or "WIP" commits on main)
 - [ ] Bird CLI failure doesn't break the skill (graceful fallback verified)
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ git checkout cc892d7   # last known good commit from old version
 | Bird CLI breaks after X API changes | Medium | Low | Fallback to xAI/WebSearch still works |
 | Bird auth expires silently | Medium | Low | `is_bird_authenticated()` check + user message |
 | Old xAI workflows regress | Low | High | Comparison test in Phase 2.5 |
-| Hardcoded paths in codebase | Low | Medium | Grep for `/Users/mvanhorn` before release |
+| Hardcoded paths in codebase | Low | Medium | Grep for `/Users/` or `/home/` before release |
 | SKILL.md name still says `last30daystest` | Low | High | Already fixed in commit `4e972d0` |
 
 ## References
diff --git a/docs/plans/2026-02-06-feat-visible-query-parsing-display-plan.md b/docs/plans/2026-02-06-feat-visible-query-parsing-display-plan.md
index 694915bc..6735ea0a 100644
--- a/docs/plans/2026-02-06-feat-visible-query-parsing-display-plan.md
+++ b/docs/plans/2026-02-06-feat-visible-query-parsing-display-plan.md
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ Add an explicit "Display your parsing" instruction between the "Parse User Inten
 
 ### SKILL.md Change
 
-**File:** `/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/SKILL.md`
+**File:** `$HOME/last30days-skill-private/SKILL.md`
 
 After the "Store these variables" block (line ~38) and before "Research Execution" (line ~42), add:
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ This text MUST appear before you call any tools. It confirms to the user that yo
 
 After editing SKILL.md:
 ```bash
-cp /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/SKILL.md ~/.claude/skills/last30days/SKILL.md
+cp $HOME/last30days-skill-private/SKILL.md ~/.claude/skills/last30days/SKILL.md
 ```
 
 ## Test Plan
diff --git a/docs/plans/2026-02-06-fix-last30days-v2-formatting-reddit-citations-plan.md b/docs/plans/2026-02-06-fix-last30days-v2-formatting-reddit-citations-plan.md
index 4bfac03a..5559ae21 100644
--- a/docs/plans/2026-02-06-fix-last30days-v2-formatting-reddit-citations-plan.md
+++ b/docs/plans/2026-02-06-fix-last30days-v2-formatting-reddit-citations-plan.md
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ Re-run the same 4 queries after fixes:
 ## References
 
 - Current SKILL.md: `~/.claude/skills/last30days/SKILL.md`
-- Private repo: `/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/`
+- Private repo: `$HOME/last30days-skill-private/`
 - Old working SKILL.md: `~/.claude/skills/last30days.backup-v1/SKILL.md`
 - Reddit search module: `scripts/lib/openai_reddit.py:53-93` (prompt), `:160-166` (API call)
 - Scoring module: `scripts/lib/score.py:151-157` (penalties)
diff --git a/docs/plans/2026-02-06-test-v1-vs-v2-comparison-plan.md b/docs/plans/2026-02-06-test-v1-vs-v2-comparison-plan.md
index 52067d26..a7eb9f0f 100644
--- a/docs/plans/2026-02-06-test-v1-vs-v2-comparison-plan.md
+++ b/docs/plans/2026-02-06-test-v1-vs-v2-comparison-plan.md
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ Run the same queries through both the public v1 and private v2 of last30days, co
 cp ~/.claude/skills/last30days/SKILL.md ~/.claude/skills/last30days/SKILL.md.v2
 
 # Install v1 from upstream
-cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private
+cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private
 git show upstream/main:SKILL.md > ~/.claude/skills/last30days/SKILL.md
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/plans/2026-02-07-release-v2-public-launch-plan.md b/docs/plans/2026-02-07-release-v2-public-launch-plan.md
index fbac083a..b45f12d4 100644
--- a/docs/plans/2026-02-07-release-v2-public-launch-plan.md
+++ b/docs/plans/2026-02-07-release-v2-public-launch-plan.md
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ Push all V2 changes from the private development repo to the public GitHub repo,
 ### Step 2: Push to public
 
 ```bash
-cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private
+cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private
 git push upstream main
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/plans/2026-02-14-feat-merge-openclaw-variant-plan.md b/docs/plans/2026-02-14-feat-merge-openclaw-variant-plan.md
index 763483c2..bc07f949 100644
--- a/docs/plans/2026-02-14-feat-merge-openclaw-variant-plan.md
+++ b/docs/plans/2026-02-14-feat-merge-openclaw-variant-plan.md
@@ -210,15 +210,15 @@ The open variant's SKILL.md uses `{baseDir}` which resolves to the skill root. B
 ## References
 
 ### Internal
-- OpenClaw plan: `/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-openclaw/docs/plans/2026-02-10-feat-openclaw-last30days-skill-plan.md` (989 lines, comprehensive spec)
+- OpenClaw plan: `$HOME/last30days-openclaw/docs/plans/2026-02-10-feat-openclaw-last30days-skill-plan.md` (989 lines, comprehensive spec)
 - Codex compat plan: `docs/plans/2026-02-14-feat-codex-skill-compatibility-plan.md` (portable paths, platform-neutral text)
-- OpenClaw source: `/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-openclaw/`
+- OpenClaw source: `$HOME/last30days-openclaw/`
 
 ### Key files to port
-- `store.py`: `/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-openclaw/scripts/store.py` (20KB, SQLite with FTS5)
-- `watchlist.py`: `/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-openclaw/scripts/watchlist.py` (10KB)
-- `briefing.py`: `/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-openclaw/scripts/briefing.py` (8KB)
-- `brave_search.py`: `/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-openclaw/scripts/lib/brave_search.py` (6KB)
-- `parallel_search.py`: `/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-openclaw/scripts/lib/parallel_search.py` (4KB)
-- `openrouter_search.py`: `/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-openclaw/scripts/lib/openrouter_search.py` (7KB)
-- `env.py` (openclaw version): `/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-openclaw/scripts/lib/env.py` (9KB — has web search key functions)
+- `store.py`: `$HOME/last30days-openclaw/scripts/store.py` (20KB, SQLite with FTS5)
+- `watchlist.py`: `$HOME/last30days-openclaw/scripts/watchlist.py` (10KB)
+- `briefing.py`: `$HOME/last30days-openclaw/scripts/briefing.py` (8KB)
+- `brave_search.py`: `$HOME/last30days-openclaw/scripts/lib/brave_search.py` (6KB)
+- `parallel_search.py`: `$HOME/last30days-openclaw/scripts/lib/parallel_search.py` (4KB)
+- `openrouter_search.py`: `$HOME/last30days-openclaw/scripts/lib/openrouter_search.py` (7KB)
+- `env.py` (openclaw version): `$HOME/last30days-openclaw/scripts/lib/env.py` (9KB — has web search key functions)
diff --git a/docs/plans/2026-02-17-feat-github-release-v2.1-plan.md b/docs/plans/2026-02-17-feat-github-release-v2.1-plan.md
index cba4ed99..906e3974 100644
--- a/docs/plans/2026-02-17-feat-github-release-v2.1-plan.md
+++ b/docs/plans/2026-02-17-feat-github-release-v2.1-plan.md
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ Initial public release. Reddit + X search via OpenAI and xAI APIs.
 #### 2. Create annotated tag on the public repo
 
 ```bash
-cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private
+cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private
 
 # Tag on the current HEAD (which matches upstream/main)
 git tag -a v2.1.0 -m "Release v2.1.0: Watchlists, YouTube transcripts, Codex CLI, bundled X search"
diff --git a/docs/plans/2026-03-02-feat-close-pr37-codex-auth-finalization-plan.md b/docs/plans/2026-03-02-feat-close-pr37-codex-auth-finalization-plan.md
index 7e128454..97c9e969 100644
--- a/docs/plans/2026-03-02-feat-close-pr37-codex-auth-finalization-plan.md
+++ b/docs/plans/2026-03-02-feat-close-pr37-codex-auth-finalization-plan.md
@@ -144,14 +144,14 @@ valid and sidesteps the isolation problem entirely.
 
 ### Step 1: Fix the test
 
-In the **private source repo** (`/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/`):
+In the **private source repo** (`$HOME/last30days-skill-private/`):
 
 Edit `tests/test_codex_auth.py` line 77-84. Replace the bare test with the `@patch.dict` version above. Run `python3 -m pytest tests/test_codex_auth.py -v` to confirm 22/22.
 
 ### Step 2: Run full test suite
 
 ```bash
-cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private
+cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private
 python3 -m pytest tests/ -v 2>&1 | tail -20
 ```
 
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ Check that `.gitignore` (or the upstream push config) prevents `docs/comparison-
 from leaking to the public GitHub remote.
 
 ```bash
-cat /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/.gitignore | grep -E "comparison|evaluate|generate"
+cat $HOME/last30days-skill-private/.gitignore | grep -E "comparison|evaluate|generate"
 ```
 
 If not present, add:
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ variants/open/references/research.md
 ### Step 4: Commit and sync
 
 ```bash
-cd /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private
+cd $HOME/last30days-skill-private
 git add tests/test_codex_auth.py
 git commit -m "fix(tests): patch OPENAI_API_KEY env isolation in test_api_key_takes_priority"
 bash scripts/sync.sh
diff --git a/docs/plans/2026-03-06-fix-save-output-noise-plan.md b/docs/plans/2026-03-06-fix-save-output-noise-plan.md
index 60e31e3f..33f8a26c 100644
--- a/docs/plans/2026-03-06-fix-save-output-noise-plan.md
+++ b/docs/plans/2026-03-06-fix-save-output-noise-plan.md
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ Remove auto-save. Add a note to the invitation: "Say 'save' to save this researc
 
 ## Context
 
-- Source: `/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/SKILL.md`
+- Source: `$HOME/last30days-skill-private/SKILL.md`
 - Deployed to: `~/.claude/skills/last30days/SKILL.md`
 - Sync command: `bash scripts/sync.sh`
 - Current version: v2.9.3
diff --git a/docs/plans/2026-03-07-feat-paperclip-marketing-automation-plan.md b/docs/plans/2026-03-07-feat-paperclip-marketing-automation-plan.md
index 096eae0f..5c62d823 100644
--- a/docs/plans/2026-03-07-feat-paperclip-marketing-automation-plan.md
+++ b/docs/plans/2026-03-07-feat-paperclip-marketing-automation-plan.md
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ Rules:
 **How it works:**
 
 1. **Tag Watcher** - `marketing/scripts/watch_releases.py`
-   - Runs `git -C /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private fetch upstream --tags` every 6 hours
+   - Runs `git -C $HOME/last30days-skill-private fetch upstream --tags` every 6 hours
    - Compares local tags vs upstream tags
    - On new tag: reads CHANGELOG.md diff since last tag
 
diff --git a/docs/plans/2026-03-08-fix-skill-md-save-section-regression-plan.md b/docs/plans/2026-03-08-fix-skill-md-save-section-regression-plan.md
index de808015..4824da9b 100644
--- a/docs/plans/2026-03-08-fix-skill-md-save-section-regression-plan.md
+++ b/docs/plans/2026-03-08-fix-skill-md-save-section-regression-plan.md
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ Remove from `## Save Research to Documents` through the `---` separator before `
 
 ## Post-edit steps
 
-1. Run `bash /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/scripts/sync.sh` to deploy to `~/.claude/skills/`
+1. Run `bash $HOME/last30days-skill-private/scripts/sync.sh` to deploy to `~/.claude/skills/`
 2. Push to `origin/main` and `upstream/main`
 3. Verify with `diff` that installed skill matches repo
 
diff --git a/scripts/test-v1-vs-v2.sh b/scripts/test-v1-vs-v2.sh
index 89359106..e4c184cc 100755
--- a/scripts/test-v1-vs-v2.sh
+++ b/scripts/test-v1-vs-v2.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ set -euo pipefail
 # using `claude --print` to capture real end-to-end output.
 
 SKILL_DIR="$HOME/.claude/skills/last30days"
-REPO_DIR="/Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private"
+REPO_DIR="$HOME/last30days-skill-private"
 
 # Safety: always restore V2 SKILL.md on exit/crash
 cleanup() {
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ run_version() {
 
     # Run claude --print with the skill invocation
     # No timeout — claude --print exits on its own; kill manually if stuck
-    if /Users/mvanhorn/.local/bin/claude --print \
+    if $HOME/.local/bin/claude --print \
       "/last30days $query" \
       > "$outfile" 2>"$errfile"; then
       local end_time
diff --git a/test-run.log b/test-run.log
index c3b2b5a8..0c0ad8dc 100644
--- a/test-run.log
+++ b/test-run.log
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-📁 Output directory: /Users/mvanhorn/last30days-skill-private/docs/test-results/v1-vs-v2-20260206-231338
+📁 Output directory: $HOME/last30days-skill-private/docs/test-results/v1-vs-v2-20260206-231338
 
 📦 Backing up current V2 SKILL.md...
 📥 Installing V1 SKILL.md from upstream...